TI delivers industry's first integrated IQ modulator for wireless infrastructure

DALLAS, USA: Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) has introduced the industry's first integrated IQ modulator in full production for the wireless infrastructure market.

The high-performance TRF372017 integrates a direct up-conversion IQ modulator with a phase-locked loop (PLL) and wideband voltage crystal oscillator (VCO) to simplify local oscillator (LO) design and reduce board space.

The TRF372017 provides an ultra-wide continuous tuning range – 300 to 4800 MHz – enabling customers to save time and reduce costs by eliminating the need for an external LO while qualifying and stocking a single IQ modulator for all 3GPP and 3GPP2 standards, as well as licensed WiMAX.

Key features and benefits
* Achieves an output third-order intercept (OIP3) of 26 dBm, delivering high linearity to meet the spectral mask standards for wireless infrastructure applications, such as wireless base stations, wireless local loop, point-to-point microwave and software-defined radio.

* Provides a low noise floor of -160 dBm/Hz, enabling a high transmit signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and improved error vector magnitude across an ultra-wide continuous tuning range. This includes GSM, W-CDMA, CDMA2000, LTE, TD-SCDMA and WiMAX frequency bands.

* Reduces bill-of-materials cost by integrating the LO and providing an LO synthesizer output with independent frequency dividers to drive additional transmit or receive signal chains.

* Simplifies design and allows for smaller end equipment by integrating a baseband bias voltage generator and DC offset adjustment digital-to-analog converter (DAC). This high level of integration enables a compact, highly-linear wideband transmitter architecture with a passive interface to the communications DAC, such as TI's DAC3283, the industry's smallest dual 16-bit, 800 MSPS DAC.

The TRF372017 integrated IQ modulator is available now in a 7-mm x 7-mm QFN-48 package, priced at $5.50 in quantities of 1,000.